State fire officials take initiative to develop educational programs for the public, legislators & fire service on value of sprinklers & dangers of lightweight construction

Pennsylvania fire officials have obtained a grant to hire anationally recognized the fire educator to develop a series of educational programs that will be made available to the public, legislators and fire training organizations and hopefully will be used by the media to create an awareness of the value of sprinklers and particularly residential sprinklers as a national code requirement for new homes

The codes have allowed use of unprotected lightweight residential construction if sprinklers are installed.What the uninformed parties in Pennsylvania who pushed for the repeal of residential sprinklers are not aware of, is that if lightweight construction is used in sprinkler buildings and other more costly protective construction methods are required by the code.

Builders who are now reading the code are discovering that the lack of sprinklers may actually increase home construction when local code officials enforce codes.

Fire officials who face the realities of firefighting on a daily basis know for a fact that homeowners will breach built in fire protection in that it will ultimately add collapse risk that will effect both occupants and firefighters.

The PA fireman was invited to observe some of the 1st of several simulated events conducted at Delaware County training center that will go into the education and training programs.

Fires were set in identical rooms and times were recorded as the fires unfolded. While there will be many details reported in the finished product, the bottom line is that the fires were set and a 911 call was made to the local fire department.

This is a series of pictures on the fire in a sprinklered bedroom from ignition to fire.department arrival.

Approximately 2 min. after ignition one sprinkler head was activated, 6 1/2 min. after ignition the fire department arrived, they entered the sprinklered room and the fire was out.

This is a series of pictures on the fire in an unsprinklered bedroom and the fire's advancement to collapse. The stove, refrigerator and two barrels, simulating firefighters, collapsed into the lower-level. This was a room built to code for lightweight construction without sprinklers verified by code officials.

They did not enter the unsprinklered room because the fire was fully
involved and fire officials feared collapse that actuallyoccurred as the fire
progressed. We will keep you informed on the progress of the project.

This sprinklered unit, pictured left, was built in rural Monroe County, PA in 1984. It never leaked or went off even though the heads were above the kids bedroom for 30 years.